ISLAMABAD — Amid rumors that Islamabad secretly sent a messenger to Israel last week, Pakistan denies that it is moving toward recognizing Israel. Pakistan has maintained the stance that it will not recognize Israel until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved. During his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates last week, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that he made his country’s position clear. “We will not and cannot establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete and permanent solution to the Palestine issue is found,” Qureshi told reporters on Dec. 21 from his hometown of Multan. Meanwhile, reports…
Author: zenger.news
A variety of Israeli-based startups got a chance to strut their stuff at a recent virtual tech confab based in Portland, Oregon. Three high-impact Israeli health-tech companies joined ISRAEL21c Executive Director Brian Abrahams on the main-stage “Innovation in the Time of COVID” session at TechFestNW on Dec. 2. In addition, 10 fledgling firms got a chance to pitch for funding during the event. The annual global gathering of innovators, entrepreneurs, tech companies and investors, held virtually this year from its base in Portland, Oregon, was cosponsored by ISRAEL21c. Abrahams interviewed Nimrod May, chief commercial officer of Sonarax, which transmits data…
PARLA, Spain — The now-former owner of 100 dogs is facing criminal charges after law enforcement authorities in Spain uncovered the appalling conditions of his clandestine kennel. The canines, which included greyhounds and other hound breeds, were rescued from the illegal center located in Parla, about 12 miles from the capital city of Madrid, following an investigation that began on Nov. 18, the Spanish Civil Guard announced on Dec. 21. Local officials inspected the facility last month and detected a number of infractions, including its lack of a zoological license. Authorities then conducted a more thorough inspection on Dec. 20, during…
As we near the end of what turned out to be a totally unpredictable year, it may seem bold to forecast what is in store for 2021. However, one megatrend from the COVID-19 pandemic is sure to influence everything from ecology to economy and healthcare to lifestyle in the coming year: working from home. As businesses, workers and consumers navigate remote and online landscapes, 16 experts laid out several predictions for how the global population will access healthcare, make environmental progress, learn, innovate, invest and so much more in 2021. HOW WE LIVE AND WORK 1. Self-care and nostalgia renaissance…
As the Judeo-Christian holy land, Israel is filled with churches. While the Church of Mary Magdalene, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity may be the most famous, the churches and monasteries listed below house many relics, including ancient ruins, Medieval artwork and the tombs of several saints and apostles. Some are in fairytale locations with breathtaking views, from the heart of the desert to mountaintops overlooking Israel’s seas. Others, however, warrant stripping down to your bathing suit for a quick spiritual dip. 1. St. George Monastery, Wadi Qelt A Greek Orthodox priest rings the church…
JERUSALEM — Researchers believe a well-established drug could prevent lung damage in COVID-19 patients, potentially reducing the severity and mortality rate of the illness. A study started by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in July has since demonstrated that the coronavirus inhibits the effective breakdown of fat in lungs, resulting in a buildup that can negatively impact patients. Initial data presented at the recent SPARK Conference on Generic Drug Repurposing for COVID-19 showed that 1,500 Israel-based coronavirus patients recovered quickly after taking a regimen of fibrates, or drugs designed to lower triglycerides (fats) in the blood. “We showed that the…
BUENOS AIRES — A dolphin calf was rescued by the members of the Ecological Foundation Pinamar and Mundo Marino Foundation at a resort town of Carilo beach in the eastern Argentine province of Buenos Aires. At the time of rescue, the female calf weighed just four kilograms (8.8 pounds) and was 68 centimeters long (26.7 inches). It also had its umbilical cord attached to it. The new-born Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia Blainvillei), also known as the La Plata dolphin, is listed as one of the vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It lives along the coast of southern…
In 2018, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report concluding the world will pass the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Climate Agreement by 2050 if energy, transportation and agriculture sectors do not undergo a radical transformation. Despite the complications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, renewable electricity generation is expected to rise by an additional 5% in 2020, thanks to the expansion of solar and wind energy and hydroelectric power projects. In the transportation sector, worldwide electric vehicle production and sales exceeded 2 million units in 2018 alone. Conversely, the agriculture sector has not…
2020 began under the shadow of a coming pandemic that would soon wreak havoc on worldwide health and finances. Yet despite rising unemployment and a decline in early-stage financing, a year-end report from non-profit organization Start-Up Nation Central shows 2020 broke capital-raising records in Israel. “As of the beginning of December 2020, Israeli companies raised $9.5 billion in capital, and 2020 is on course to becoming the first year in which capital raised by Israeli companies will cross the $10 billion threshold,” the report from the Tel Aviv organization stated. Investments in Israeli companies more than tripled in six years,…
Scientists anticipate a massive leak of over one million barrels of oil — four times greater than the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989 — in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. The danger comes from the Safer floating storage and offloading unit, which is in the final stages of decay. The Safer has been stranded and deteriorating since 2015, giving the world the most advanced warning ever of a major oil spill. Can anything be done to prevent this catastrophe? In a policy brief published on December 15 in Frontiers in Marine Science, a team of international…